This was supposed to be my year! The good stuff started off early even before the new year with the Mesdames of Mayhem book launch for their music themed anthology In the Key of Thirteen, where I had my story “The Moonlight Sonata”. This is the first of their anthos that I have been in so I was very happy to be included. The good times kept rolling right along with my trip back to Costa Rica in February, a place I love, where I lazed about and read and thought about writing as I swung in my hammock on the beach. And then we came home. A week later, the dreaded plague struck and we were all in lockdown.

Nevertheless, the writing went on and so did the good stuff, although adjusted to this new way of living. The staying inside part was nothing new, since I live this way anyway, hunkering down as I write, but watching all the highlights that give me such joy disappear one by one, that has been hard.  First the opera cancelled the rest of the season. Then the ballet. Then one by one all the appearances I was to make at panels and readings and other events–gone.

Worst of all–– I have two new books coming out. I was looking forward to launch parties, which I haven’t had for a while for one reason or another. Marlo’s Dance is a new
adventure for me. Although it is set in my world of the Merculians, it 

introduces a new character and a new kind of story–– a police procedural kind of mystery. Marlo Dasha Bogardini is an investigator and is involved right away with finding the dead body of a young dancer. It’s available for pre-order now but I will talk much more about it later.

My second book will be coming out on September 15. The title is Dancing With Chairs in the Music House,  from Inana Publications. This, too, involves murder. Set in Toronto in 1949, it’s the story of a 10 year old girl, living in two rooms with her eccentric family in an old rooming house on Jarvis street. She spends her time wandering around, listening at doors, watching through windows and trying to make sense of what she sees and hears. Eventually she sees something not meant to be seen which changes her world.

But really why am I complaining? Isn’t most of this good news? Yes! It really is. And more good news is that I am writing, working on the last Merculian novel and making notes on another possible novel that will be completely different.

So although the twenties may not have begun to roar in the best of ways, it has plenty of time to change its tune to a more cheerful mode. And we can help by just keeping on keeping on. Write on! And most importantly, read on!